Detectives put over 50 Biman staffers under watch over gold smuggling

Detectives have put more than 50 officials of Biman Bangladesh Airlines under surveillance after five, including a senior officer, were arrested for their suspected involvement in gold smuggling.

After Tuesday arrest, police said they had come to know that many beginning from female flight attendants to officials were involved in the smuggling cartel.

Asked about the matter, Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Commissioner Masudur Rahman told bdnews24.com on Thursday that the detectives would keep over 50 officials under ‘special watch’.

“Their movements are being kept under special watch,” he said. But the official declined to name the Biman staff ‘in the interest of investigation’.

Gold was seized at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport on several occasions in the last one year, giving rise to speculation that Biman employees were involved in the smuggling cartels.

Amid such speculation, detectives on Tuesday arrested Biman Deputy General Manager Emdad Hossain and four others over gold hauls.

The other arrested are Biman’s Planning and Scheduling chief Captain Abu Mohammad Aslam Shaheed, Schedule Manager Tozammel Hossain, Farhan Money Exchange owner Harun-or-Rashid and Biman contractor Mahmudul Haq Palash.

Police have remanded them for four days of interrogation.

The civil aviation ministry has ordered departmental actions against the arrestees.

Airport Customs Intelligence Department Director General Moinul Khan told bdnews24.com the NBR had opened investigations which he led early this year to identify those linked to gold smuggling.

The investigation report, submitted to NBR, identified 14 Biman officials to have been involved in the crime.